Darlington 0-2 Bishop’s Stortford Match Report

Darlington 0-2 Bishop’s Stortford Match Report

23/12/23

Vanarama National League North

Hamish Arnold

Captain Jack Giddens and his team kept a first clean sheet since September with a 0-2 win at Darlington on Saturday. Bishop’s Stortford picked up a first 90 minute away win of the season, with Ryan Charles and Osman Sow – who scored his first for the club – scoring in the first half. Zain Walker saw red after the break but the Blues saw out the win against the relegation rivals.

Charles dribbled in off the right wing and switched the play to Darren Foxley on the left, he worked the ball into space but the cross was cleared, to new signing Amadou Kassarate who was closed down efficiently by a defender who blocked the shot. Tommy Taylor punched away an inswinging corner by Foxley from his goal-line that looked likely to be creeping in, before Beadle’s long throw wasn’t cleared and Walker headed wide from close range. Charles ran in behind the defence to a lofted through ball, and deftly volleyed it over Taylor who was stuck in no man’s land after trying to close him down. Giddens denied Will Hatfield from a left wing cut back, he stabbed the ball goalwards but the keeper stuck a leg out to keep him out from eight yards. Riccardo Di Trolio – another new signing on loan from Coventry City – recovered brilliantly to tackle Hatfield in the box as he was about to shoot, before a promising attack on the left wing finished with a poor shot from Jonny Ngandu, high and wide of the target. Foxley fired a low and powerful shot wide of the goal, Harry Beadle headed clear a dangerous left wing cross, and Charles hooked clear a right wing free kick and the follow-up shot was blocked. Sow scored in a goalmouth scramble following a corner, Darlington failed to clear and the striker slammed home from close range.

HT 0-2

Walker was sent off with half an hour to go for a foul in the middle of the pitch, and a possible high boot, with the Blues taking a more defensive approach to see out the game, and trying to fashion chances on the counter attack, substitute Mbunya Alemanji took on the defence alone and got a shot away, but it was blocked for a corner, to relieve pressure on the defence. Foxley whipped in another dangerous looking corner but couldn’t find a team-mate at the far post. Giddens reacted brilliantly to a long range strike that moved in the air, he tipped the shot over the crossbar, before Salkeld fired against the crossbar from close range from a right wing cut back. Despite the player deficit, Stortford remained resolute in defence and picked up a huge three points.

FT 0-2

TEAMS

Darlington XI

1 Tommy Taylor

2 Ben Hedley (Yellow card 82’)

4 Tom Platt (c) (Liddle 63’)

5 Toby Lees

6 Jake Lawlor

7 Jonny Ngandu (Williams 60’)

14 Will Hatfield

19 Akwasi Asante

24 Cameron Salkeld

25 Blaine Rowe

28 Hayden Lindley (Rivers 73’)

Subs

3 Jassem Sukar

8 Ben Liddle

21 Jarrett Rivers

26 Callum Griffiths

30 Bradley Williams

Bishop’s Stortford XI

1 Jack Giddens (c) (Yellow card 90+3’)

3 Riccardo Di Trolio

4 Amadou Kassarate (Yellow card 14’)

6 Harry Beadle

8 Kane Crichlow (Alexander 58’)

10 Darren Foxley

11 Tosin Olufemi (Yellow card 21’)

12 Emmanuel Oke

14 Osman Sow (Goal 44’) (Alemanji 66’)

15 Ryan Charles (Goal 9’)

16 Zain Walker (Red card 61’)

Subs

2 Mark Haines

9 Mbunya Alemanji

17 Aaron Greene

18 Asher Falase

20 Fraser Alexander

Attendance 1305